Individuals and Communities at Newcastle University

13th Annual Postgraduate Form Conference

The School of History, Classics and Archaeology of the Newcastle University organizes it 13th Annual Postgraduate Form Conference, to be held on 20th May 2016. Its title is “Individuals and Communities.”

Humans are often considered ‘social animals’, existing only within larger groups, though still maintaining a unique identity. This interdisciplinary one-day conference seeks reflect on the shifting relationship between individuals and communities across history. Defining the relationship between the individual and a (or several) social group(s) is difficult task. A community and an individual often construct carefully curated identities, which are either mutual or distinct. Humans have constantly created communities, approaches to the study of which are wide-ranging and indeed interdisciplinary. Equally, throughout our history individuals have emerged and their eminency has endured the test of time. Prominent and conspicuous these great individuals stand as role-models and exempla. Yet others, individuals who are not famous (either in their own, or our time) often prove to be just as important. What role can we, as historians and archaeologists, play in reviving and bringing back the individual from a historical period, ancient or more modern? Can we restore their agency? How important is the individual experience in society? How are communities organised?

Proposals are invited for twenty-minute papers from postgraduate historians, classicists, ancient historians, and archaeologists. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

-Individuals in communities

-Outsiders and exile

-Individuals in history

-Agency

-‘Great-Man’ theory

-Public and private religion

-Organisation(s) and landscape

-Social roles

-International relations

-Social communication

-Family

-Gender and sexuality

-Creating society

-Class and race

Also invited are poster submissions from postgraduate students. In order to offer the opportunity to present work which is in the earlier stages of research, poster submissions are not necessarily required to fit with the theme of the conference.

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be sent to l.emslie@ncl.ac.uk by Friday 1st April 2016.

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